RAMAPO – An agreement between Rockland officials and the Hi Tor Animal Care Center, the county's only animal shelter, would bring a desperately needed new building at no expense to taxpayers.

County Executive Ed Day and Hi Tor board President Lizanne Fiorentino have signed a letter of intent that spells out how the project would proceed.

Ultimately, the goal is to replace a dilapidated county-owned structure with an updated and larger building to allow for better care of the 2,500 animals brought to the shelter each year. Supporters say a nicer place would also facilitate more adoptions.

"We cannot wait any longer," Day said. "Inaction is going to doom these animals."

Fiorentino said the letter was a critical first step that will allow Hi Tor to continue fulfilling its mission of "delivering the highest standard of care possible while promoting responsible pet ownership through education."

Even as the building effort moves forward, the shelter is grappling with what Fiorentino calls the "annual kitten season." She estimates it will bring 600 kittens into the shelter's care by the time it ends in the fall.

Currently, 100 kittens are being cared for by the organization, most of them in foster homes to help protect their health until they're at least 7 weeks old, Fiorentino said. The kennels are also full, with about 35 dogs.

Under the agreement, the county would allow the organization to use additional land at its site on Firemen's Memorial Drive in Ramapo. Hi Tor would be responsible for the design and construction of the shelter and would donate the building to the county after completion, subject to approval by the county Legislature.

Fiorentino said the shelter now sits on about six-tenths of an acre, and the new agreement would triple that to just under 2 acres.

Organizers had earlier hoped to find a new 5-acre site to ensure a buffer between the shelter and its neighbors. But as time has passed, Day and Fiorentino said, it became clear that finding such a spot was too difficult.

Fiorentino said the existing site provides easy access to major roadways, and didn't impact anyone because there are no neighbors.

A photo last year of the cattery at the Hi Tor animal shelter
(Photo:
File
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Nearly $300,000 has been raised to rebuild the shelter over the past two years, most of it from people attending small events and dropping change into collection jars. In June, a major force in the fundraising effort resigned after a falling out with Fiorentino. The organization then created a new capital campaign committee.

Fiorentino said the next step will be to conduct a formal needs assessment, which will allow the organization to develop a functional design.

Twitter: @LauraInc15

Visit www.hitor.org/ for more information about the shelter, ways to volunteer or how to donate.